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56TH  CONGRESS,  )  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES,    j  DOCUMENT^ 

1st  Session.      [  -j    No.  357. 


-  v-  J 

SETTLERS  ON  THE  NAVAJO  INDIAN  RESERVATION. 


MESSAGE 

FROM    THE 


PRESIDENT  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES, 

RETURNING, 

WITHOUT  APPROVAL,  H.  R.  4001,  ENTITLED  "AN  ACT  AUTHOR 
IZING  THE  ADJUSTMENT  OF  RIGHTS  OF  SETTLERS  ON  THE 
NAVAJO  INDIAN  RESERVATION,  TERRITORY  OF  ARIZONA." 


MAY  4, 1900. — Referred  to  the  Committee  on  Indian  Affairs  and  ordered  to  be  printed. 


To  the  House  of  Representatives : 

I  herewith  return  without  approval  H.  R.  4001,  entitled  "An  act 
authorizing  the  adjustment  of  rights  of  settlers  on  the  Navajo  Indian 
Reservation,  Territory  of  Arizona."  My  objections  to  the  bill  are 
embodied  in  the  following  statement: 

This  tribe  has  a  population  of  about  20,500  souls,  of  whom  1,000 
dress  in  the  manner  of  white  men,  250  can  read,  and  500  use  enough 
English  for  ordinary  conversation.  Last  year  they  cultivated  8,000 
acres,  and  possessed,  approximately,  1,000,000  sheep,  250,000  goats, 
100,500  cattle,  1,200  swine,  and  very  considerable  herds  of  horses  and 
ponies.  Prior  to  January  last  the  reservation,  which  is  in  the  extreme 
northeastern  portion  of  the  Territory  of  Arizona,  consisted  of  lands 
set  apart  for  the  use  of  these  Indians  under  the  treaty  of  June  1, 1863 
(15  Stat.,  667),  and  subsequent  Executive  orders.  On  account  of  the 
conditions  naturally  prevailing  in  that  section  the  reservation  as  then 
constituted  was  altogether  inadequate  for  the  purposes  for  which  it 
was  set  apart.  There  was  not  a  sufficient  supply  of  grass  or  water 
within  its  borders  for  the  flocks  and  herds  of  the  tribe,  and  in  conse 
quence  more  than  one-third  of  the  Indians  were  habitually  off  the  res 
ervation  with  their  flocks  and  herds,  and  were  in  frequent  contention 
and  strife  with  whites  over  pasturage  and  water.  After  most  careful 
inquiry  and  inspection  of  the  reservation  as  it  then  existed,  arid  of 
adjacent  lands,  by  efficient  officers  in  the  Indian  service,  the  Commis 
sioner  of  Indian  Affairs,  with  the  concurrence  of  the  Secretary  of  the 
Interior,  recommended  that  the  limits  of  the  reservation  be  extended 
westward  so  as  to  embrace  the  lands  lying  between  the  Navajo  and 
Moqui  Indian  reservations  on  the  east  and  the  Colorado  and  Little 


2  SETTLERS    ON   THE    NAVAJO   INDIAN    RESERVATION. 

Colorado  rivers  and  the  Grand  Can  von  Forest  Reserve  on  tlio  wost. 
This  recommendation  was  supported  by  a  very  numerously  signed 
petition  from  the  white  residents  of  that  section,  and  also  by  a  letter 
From  the  governor  of  the  Territory  of  Arizona,  in  which  it  was  said : 

1  understand  that  a  petition  has  been  forwarded  asking  that  the  western  limit  be 
fixed  at  the  Little  Colorado  River  as  being  better  for  all  concerned  and  less  liable  to 
cause  friction  between  the  Indians  and  the  whites.  I  earnestly  hope  that  the  prayer 
of  the  petitioners  be  granted,  for  the  reason  that  the  Little  Colorado  could  be  made 
a  natural  dividing  line,  distinct  and  well  defined,  and  would  extend  the  grazing  ter 
ritory  of  the  Navajoes  to  a  very  considerable  extent  without  seriously  encroaching 
upon  the  interests  of  white  settlers  who  have  their  property  in  that  neighborhood. 

I  think  great  care  should  be  exercised  in  questions  of  ttiis  nature,  because  of  pos 
sible  serious  friction  which  may  occur  if  the  interests  of  all  concerned  ar«  not  care 
fully  protected. 

The  investigation  which  preceded  this  recommendation,  and  upon 
which  it  was  in  part  based,  showed  that  with  the  boundaries  of  the 
reservation  thus  extended  the  Indians  would  be  able  to  obtain  within 
the  limits  of  the  reservation  sufficient  grass  and  water  for  their  flocks 
and  herds,  and  the  Government  would  therefore  be  justified  in  confin 
ing  them  to  the  reservation,  thus  avoiding  the  prior  contention  and 
f notion  between  them  and  the  whites. 

It  appearing  that  but  little  aid  had  been  extended  to  these  Indians 
by  the  Government  for  many  years,  that  they  had  taken  on  habits  of 
industry  and  husbandry  which  entitled  them  to  encouragement,  and 
that  it  was  neither  just  nor  possible  to  confine  them  to  the  limits  of  a 
reservation  which  would  not  sustain  their  flocks  and  herds,  an  order 
was  issued  by  me  January  8  last  extending  the  reservation  boundaries 
as  recommended.  The  Indians  have  accepted  this  as  an  evidence  of 
the  good  faith  of  the  Government  toward  them,  and  it  is  now  the 
belief  of  those  charged  with  the  administration  of  Indian  affairs  that 
further  contention  and  friction  between  the  Indians  and  whites  will  be 
avoided  if  this  arrangement  is  not  disturbed. 

The  present  bill  proposes  to  open  to  miners  and  prospectors  and  to 
the  operation  of  the  mining  laws  a  substantial  portion  of  this  reserva 
tion,  including  a  part  of  the  lands  covered  by  the  recent  order.  There 
has  been  no  effort  to  obtain  from  the  Indians  a  concession  of  this 
character,  nor  has  any  reason  been  presented  why,  if  these  lands  are 
to  be  taken  from  them — for  that  will  practically  result  from  this  bill 
if  it  becomes  a  law,  even  though  not  so  intended — it  should  not  be 
done  in  pursuance  of  negotiations  had  with  the  Indians  as  in  other 
instances.  The  Indians  could  not  understand  how  lands  given  to  them 
in  January  as  necessary  for  their  use  should  be  taken  away  without 
previous  notice  in  May  of  the  same  year.  While  the  Indians  are  the 
wards  of  the  Government,  and  must  submit  to  that  which  is  deemed 
for  their  best  interests  by  the  sovereign  guardian,  they  should,  never 
theless,  be  dealt  with  in  a  manner  calculated  to  give  them  confidence 
in  the  Government  and  to  assist  them  in  passing  through  the  inevita 
ble  transition  to  a  state  of  civilization  and  full  citizenship.  Believing 
that  due  consideration  has  not  been  given  to  the  status  and  interests 
of  the  Indians,  I  withhold  my  approval  from  the  bill. 

WILLIAM    McKlNLEY. 

EXECUTIVE  MANSION,  May  3,  1900. 


